It’s twice the entertainment on SBS VICELAND in double-bill December

From dating and driving to disability, there's a lot to see on SBS VICELAND this month.

‘Iggy and Ace’. Image by @Mac1Photo Source: SBS

There's a raft of entertainment and thought-provoking documentaries on SBS VICELAND in December. To help you sort out your viewing plans, we've paired up eight dramas and documentaries, including two Australian shows, that explore topics ranging from sex and dating to cars. 

 

DISABILITY:

Code of the Freaks

‘Code of the Freaks’. Source: Distributor

Disability activists call Hollywood’s clichéd use of disabled characters, ‘inspiration porn’. Now, Code of the Freaks radically reframes the way differently abled characters are represented in film. Social media has elevated the disability community’s critique of Hollywood’s casting choices, contributing to the international conversation increasingly turning to inclusion and representation. This feature-length English-language documentary from France shifts the conversation to the stories themselves, exploring what Hollywood could look like if industry gatekeepers put the voices of disabled people front and centre.

Code of the Freaks premieres on Friday 3 December at 8.30pm on SBS VICELAND and is then streaming at SBS On Demand:

Maddy the Model

‘Maddy the Model’. Source: Distributor

When Australian woman Madeline Stuart appeared on the catwalk at New York Fashion Week, she caused a sensation. Why? She has Down syndrome. Challenging entrenched perceptions of beauty, Maddy has gone from strength to strength since that day in 2015. Swedish documentary filmmaker Jane Magnusson followed Maddy and her mother and greatest supporter, Rosanne, around the world for four years, giving us the story of this ground-breaking young woman.

Maddy the Model premieres on Friday 3 December at 9.50pm on SBS VICELAND and is then streaming at SBS On Demand:

 

 

FRIENDSHIP AND IDENTITY:

Iggy and Ace

Young besties, Iggy and Ace, live, work and play together, inseparable in every way. But when Ace starts to suffer debilitating panic attacks when hungover, he winds up at a gay chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous determined to get sober. Iggy is horrified, convinced that her friend has been indoctrinated into a religious cult, and views his rejection of their shared lifestyle as a rejection of her. Stung, Iggy does everything she can to disrupt his recovery and keep her best friend close, begging the question: Can Ace’s sobriety and his friendship with Iggy co-exist?

This SBS-commissioned original series is made up of six 15-minute episodes. It stars Sara West (Don’t Tell, Bad Girl) as Iggy and WAAPA graduate Josh Virgona as Ace, in his television debut. Roz Hammond (Mad As Hell, Muriel’s Wedding), Joanna Tu (A Lie Of The Mind, Skeleton), Dalip Sondhi (Tidelands, Pulse), Liam Graham (The Heights, Burning Kiss) and new talent Aiden Hawke co-star.

The full series of Iggy and Ace airs on Monday 6 December at 9.20pm on SBS VICELAND. You can also stream it anytime at SBS On Demand, including with subtitles in Arabic, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Vietnamese.

Chad

Remember when you were 14? We’d rather not, either. It’s a tough time, and for Chad (played by Saturday Night Live’s Nasim Pedrad) it’s made even tougher, between grappling with his newly single mother’s dating life and coming to terms with his cultural identity and, that old chestnut, being ‘different’. With eight episodes of around 20 minutes each, this unusual American sitcom is one easy and fun binge.

Chad airs on Monday nights from 13 December at 10.10pm on SBS VICELAND. You can also stream it anytime at SBS On Demand.

SEX AND DATING:

Embarrassing Sex Stories

‘Embarrassing Sex Stories’. Source: Distributor

From the UK comes this countdown show like no other. Using interviews and hilarious dramatic reenactments, 10 Brits share their sexy escapades. Expect inseparable couples, snapped banjo strings, nibbling cats, stuck sex-toys, broken penises and more.

Embarrassing Sex Stories premieres on Friday 10 December at 9.20pm on SBS VICELAND.

The Swiping Game

In the second season of this SBS-commissioned show, Australians looking for love share all things dating with startling honesty and humour, from the intimacy of their bedrooms. With a smorgasbord of apps available, there is now the promise of love and sex – as well as heartbreak – with a casual swipe. The participants open up about anxiety, the importance (or not) of sex, and navigating the dating scene as a single parent.

With season 1 comprising one 15-minute episode, and season 2, three 15-minute episodes, this show makes for another easy, entertaining watch.

Season 2 of The Swiping Game airs on Friday night from 17 December at 9.15pm on SBS VICELAND. Both seasons are now streaming at SBS On Demand.

CARS TO THE RESCUE:

Saving the DeLorean Time Machine

‘Saving the DeLorean Time Machine’. Source: Distributor

Fans of Marty McFly’s ride and Hollywood memorabilia will love this fun documentary. The one and only DeLorean Time Machine featured in Back To The Future was nearly ruined over the years by the effects of harsh weather, souvenir hunters and neglect. Now, meet the team who came together to save the legendary car – including BTTF trilogy co-creator Bob Gale, studio executives, celebrities and filmmakers, and dedicated BTTF fans – and restore it to its former glory.

Saving the DeLorean Time Machine airs on Saturday 25 December at 8.30pm on SBS VICELAND.

Guy Martin: The World’s Fastest Electric Car?

‘Guy Martin: The World’s Fastest Electric Car?’ Source: Distributor

Former motorcycle racer, host Guy Martin, adores all things internal combustion engine. But here, he’s exploring the world of electric. Among his adventures, including a road trip with girlfriend Sharon, Guy attempts to set a new world record for the fastest road-legal battery-operated vehicle on a quarter mile drag strip, driving a 50-year-old VW Beetle fitted out with start-of-the-art Tesla technology. He’ll chase down answers to all the questions we have about electric cars, and entertain us in the process.

Guy Martin: The World’s Fastest Electric Car? airs on Sunday 26 December at 7.05pm on SBS VICELAND.

Also coming in December: Face your fears, sci-fi summer movies and more

There's much more happening in December too, including SBS VICELAND's 'Face Your Fears' season (Tuesdays 8:30pm), including Fear of Dancing (7 December), A Cure For Fear (14 December) and Rhod Gilbert: Stand Up To Infertility (21 December); The Eruption: Stories Of Survival, a compelling documentary about about the NZ White Island volcano eruption; new series UFOs (starts Tuesday 14 December 8.30pm); and a Sci-Fi Summer season of movies on Wednesday nights at 8:30 pm, with  Donnie Darko (8 December), The Wave (15 December), Source Code (22 December) and Twelve Monkeys (29 December).

 

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